As a rule, most movies with the word “Bad” in the title tend
to live up to their billing. Sure, there are exceptions (The Bad News Bears
wasn’t so bad) but for the most part, such movies try a little too hard to be
bad. One other exception was last year’s Bad Moms, starring Mila Kunis,
Kristen Bell and Katherine Hahn as three mothers who are fed up with the
constant societal pressures on mothers. Yes, it was raunchy, but there was some
charm in there, and not-so-bad message about moms dealing with “perfect”
expectations. Before finishing its run on pay-cable channels, the studios got a
sequel up and running, which brings us to A Bad Moms Christmas, in
theaters this week.

Kunis is back as the main character Amy, a divorced mother
of two trying to prepare for the coming holidays with her new beau Jesse (Jay
Hernadez). Kristen Bell reprises her role as Kiki, mother of three demanding kids
and wife to a somewhat distant, but well-meaning husband (Lyle Brocato). Hahn
is back as the crass single mom Carla, whose son (Cade Mansfield Cooksey) is
somewhat oblivious to her lack of propriety. Adding to the pressures of the
holidays, the mothers of all three “Bad” moms conveniently show up the week
before Christmas. Amy’s judgmental mom Ruth (Christine Baransky) immediately adds
to the stress as her dad (Peter Gallagher) remains mostly silent. Kiki’s widowed
mom Sandy (Cheryl Hines), brings added tension to her home by clinging a little
too hard to her daughter. Coincidentally, Carla’s mom Isis (Susan Sarandon)
also appears at her doorstep, bringing all her rebellious baggage along. The
three pals put up with all their moms’ pressures until they reach their
breaking point and indulge in a lot of “bad” behavior to ease the tension.
Their plans to “do Christmas” their own way falls short, leading to great
confrontations with their moms.

A Bad Moms Christmas lacks the charm and subtlety
(yes, there was some) of the original, and tries to make up for it by heaping on
extra raunchy behavior, foul language, drugs/alcohol and sexual humor. Yes,
those things were funny in Bad Moms, but underneath those vices there
was a little introspection and a positive theme on giving yourself a break. A
Bad Moms Christmas tries too hard to reiterate the same message of the original
film, while trying to fix life-long matriarchal dysfunction within a few “touching”
scenes between the elder moms and their adult daughters at the end of the
movie.

It’s a less-than-conspicuous “money-grab” sequel that feels
rushed – because it is. A Bad Moms Christmas is another in a long line
of dysfunctional family Christmas comedies that plague the holidays, like that
awful fruit cake that never goes away. Sure there may be an audience for a little wild movie fun among women, but when you add extra genitalia, alcohol and
aging gags to the hackneyed theme, you get a Christmas movie that is truly “bad.”